Show Legs Dogs Are Trained to Guide the Blind i Experts Find Female More Reliable Than the Male Potsdam Germany In In this historic city where here once Frederick the Great lover of animals erected burial mounds for tor his favorite greyhounds directly outside Sans castle there has bas been established a national training school for a type of dog conspicuous for the Red Cross Insignia carried on his harness the harness the guide dog for tor blind soldiers Infinite patience must be exercised by the tile two trainers In charge to prepare pre pre- prepare pre pre- pare the dogs for their task Tl ose osei selected are almost Invariably female shepherds It has been found that female fe Ie- female male dogs are the only dependable ones Males are apt to forget torget their duties when they see a good chance for a fight With the female the maternal maI maternal ma ma- I Instinct the feeling of ot caring affectionately for the blind bUnd master Is uppermost Whip Is Never Applied and the vo tJ trainers of the Potsdam kennel put the dogs through a n rigid course of trainIng trainIng trainIng train- train Ing In which however the whip is never applied The dog must learn to walk slowly to obey the masters master's every word to fetch things for him when desired desired desired de de- de- de sired not only to avoid the holes boles and projections and ditches dangerous to Itself but also to pull the master over far enough for him to avoid danger Supposing for Instance there Is a projecting mall man box It Is no hindrance to the dog but the animal must be taught that Its master should be so soled soled soled led as to avoid running Into It These dogs must also ulso learn to gauge the speed of traffic so as to Indicate to their master whether It Is safe to cross the street When the time has come for the dog to pass its final examination the trainer harnesses the dog and bids It lead Its teacher whose eyes are tied for tor the purpose through Pots Potsdam The trainer can then tell whether the dog has mastered the technique of leading Psychology Is Great Factor Next the prospective master Is sent for tor All blind persons who desire a guide dog must take up residence In Inthe inthe inthe the training school for a period of six weeks so that master and dog may get used to each other Not always alwo's Is the dog first selected for tor a n particular blind bUnd blindman blindman man mun the proper one for that person Psychological factors play a u great role I In this matter During the six weeks weeks' I trial period the shepherd dog remains at the prospective masters master's side day and night Few persons perhaps realize that the task for a dog of acting as guide to a blind man roan Is a racking nerve-racking one The Potsdam trainers figure that no guide dog lasts longer than four or five years After that It is a nervous wreck There have been numerous cases on record of ot such dogs going crazy from actual nervousness |